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View Poll Results: Is downsizing the next trend in Indian auto industry?
No- Size does matter! 226 52.56%
Yes- Small is beautiful! 204 47.44%
Voters: 430. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 28th June 2018, 16:39   #106
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Re: Is downsizing your car to a smaller one the new trend in Indian cities?

Conscious downsizing due to congestion is definitely some distance away.

The mass shift toward "Higher" or SUV has occurred globally including India and you see the result - from one extreme where Mahindra is a manufacturer catering dedicatedly to "Higher" car segment to Jaguar which is also forced to launch a SUVish looking car.

If downsizing was in, Merc A and B would have cut some ice. Audi A3 has few takers and they are smaller cars. There are still quite a few launches lined up by both luxury and economy carmakers but the target is not "downsizing customer". The target is hybrid customer with luxury feature expectations at all sizes.

The fact that Indian customer has so long been deprived of international class of safety and luxury features, we need to at least once reach there and then go somewhere else.

Security is a huge concern in downsizing. Downsizing essentially implies choosing from a selection where security is usually compromised.


I am in the same boat. Thinking of replacing my Innova and Corolla, there isnt a car with safety features in A,B,C segments which can help me decide to downsize. I have no qualms but get me a car that does it.

Also needs vary. Highway driving does need presence and strength to withhold Indian conditions. Bigger is better there.
Shopping rides need a separate boot space due to smells involved. The occasional airport trip doesnt help either. Even if it is 1-2 a month. So a large boot sedan gets justified.
So the sobre office commute remains the only one where one can possibly downsize but given our hectic lifestyles that is the only time we drive!!! and run errands coming back would we ever do that?

Are smaller cars easier to drive - NO, NEVER!!!
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Old 28th June 2018, 22:10   #107
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Re: Is downsizing your car to a smaller one the new trend in Indian cities?

I adore small Cars, and totally hate big cars, Zen was the ultimate car for me, and my dream is the Mini Cooper S. But, it is not so simple yet.

Let me try and draw a parallel. My wife once had the HTC explorer, which was maybe the best looking phone, with a small 3.5in screen, but it barely did anything at all. It had touch, could receive calls, some kind of wifi, and maybe had a calculator.
And since then, I am always on the lookout for a small phone, but they don't make any, that small now. We all need Octa core don't we, and then 6G RAM, and then a decent camera, touch etc and what not. And to go with it, a huge battery. All of these come at a cost. It needs a lot of cooling, battery needs space. However small you try and make them, you cannot go below 5in screen, not because people don't want them at all, but maybe because, you cannot fir the rest within such a small space. And then there is the iPhone, which is like the Mini cooper.

Same might be the case for small cars. We all need 6 airbags, ~100Bhp, big enough boot, and we have all even grown taller. My friend who drives the old Reva to office looks like Fred Flintstone; squeezed in it, and it seems that he actually is walking it to office. Maybe, making cars smaller is an expensive art. And not many would want it at all. So, unless the government brings anything like the Kei standards, we might never get to enjoy small cars again.
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Old 14th July 2018, 14:45   #108
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Re: Is downsizing your car to a smaller one the new trend in Indian cities?

Quote:
Originally Posted by penpavan View Post
I can relate to what you are saying. I sold my beloved ecosport to buy a compact automatic (polo).
Size does matter in the mind. I always felt hesitant to take ecosport out for city commutes because somehow the size played on my mind, even though it was not a full time SUV. I ended up hiring ola uber almost every time we wanted to go out anywhere within Bangalore. Eventually got a replacement polo.
Funny how the classification of a vehicle plays with one's mind. Both cars are sub 4m cars, the ecosport measuring in at 3998mm(length) and 1765mm(width) while the polo is barely smaller at 3976mm(L) and 1682mm(W). Of course, one can't compare the heights of the two. This was just an observation that I made. I guess one of the main reasons for you going in for the polo is the auto box, which understandably is a boon in Bengaluru.

Cheers xD
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Old 14th July 2018, 16:49   #109
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vinya_jag View Post

Same might be the case for small cars. We all need 6 airbags, ~100Bhp, big enough boot, and we have all even grown taller. My friend who drives the old Reva to office looks like Fred Flintstone; squeezed in it, and it seems that he actually is walking it to office. Maybe, making cars smaller is an expensive art. And not many would want it at all. So, unless the government brings anything like the Kei standards, we might never get to enjoy small cars again.
Valid point there, but globally there is a resurgence for smaller cars now. For example, considering the initial demand (global) and waiting lists (over six months of waiting in Japan at least for the moment) for the just announced Suzuki Jimny, it does look like manufacturers are taking note of the developing audience for smaller cars. Except for the boot space, it meets almost all the parameters you defined (six airbags - check, 100 BHP - check, enough headroom - check). Three out of four requirements met, if you look at it. Still early days to comment, but I for one, am definitely hoping that this is a developing trend.

Last edited by anilp : 14th July 2018 at 16:51.
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